XS Stage Fright
by airawyn
Summary: Sikudhani McCoy is in a school play. Written for Darqstar's X-S series.


Title: X-S Stage Fright  
  
Series: X-S: Growing up X  
  
Author: Airawyn  
  
Rating: G  
  
Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel. Sikudhani, Cierra Miles, Kelsey and Cameron Quinn, Kimber Lee, and Bethany belong to Darqstar. Anyone else belongs to me.   
  
Notes: This is a stand-alone story which was written for the X-S series back in 1996? 1997? A while ago, anyway.  
  
The X-S series was created by Darqstar (http://www.fanfiction.net/~darqstar).   
  
If you haven't read the series, just know that Sikudhani McCoy is a blue, furry mutant girl who was adopted by Hank McCoy as a baby. The series is about what it's like to grow up in the X-Mansion, and I highly recommend it.  
  
The entire series is at http://shifting-sands.alara.net/xs/x-s.htm.  
  
* * * * *   
  
Sikudhani McCoy peeked out through the curtains and her heart pounded as she saw how many people were in the audience. She turned away and scratched around her eyes where the stage makeup itched (even though it was hypo-allergenic and her dad said it shouldn't irritate her skin).  
  
-How did I get into this?- she sighed. She wasn't entirely sure. It began one day in class...   
  
* * * * *   
  
Siku McCoy reached in her desk for her English book, and shrieked as she touched something sticky and slimy instead. She pulled it out and dropped it on her desk. The oversized rubber slug laid there like a dead thing, covered with dust and lint.   
  
"Eeeww, that is so gross," exclaimed Cierra Miles, Siku's best friend. She glared at the two boys in the next row. They were doubled over laughing at Siku's reaction. Cierra picked up the slug, holding it as far away from herself as she could. She walked over to the boys and threw it at the chest of the blond one.   
  
"You better leave my friend alone, Monty Edwards, or ...," she couldn't think of a threat, "or else!"   
  
"Or else what?" smirked Vince, the brown-haired boy.   
  
"Or else we'll make you sorry!" retorted Siku, who felt silly for screaming because of a toy (though it was really gross).   
  
"You couldn't -" began Monty, but he was interrupted by the teacher.   
  
"Okay, class, quiet down. I have an announcement," began Mrs. Bradley. Monty settled for sticking his tongue out at Siku before turning around to face the teacher.   
  
"We will be doing a production of Peter Pan for the third grade play. Auditions will be next Thursday. Here is a copy of the play - Bethany, will you pass these out to the class? The first page is a note to your parents - we will need help with costumes, scenery, ticket sales, and backstage crew."   
  
"You could be a forest animal, Siku. You wouldn't even need a costume," whispered Bethany as she handed her a script. Siku wished Cierra hadn't gotten rid of the slug so quickly.   
  
"And you could be a skunk, Bethany. You wouldn't even need to act," retorted Cierra, who had overheard the comment.   
  
"We will perform the show on a Saturday night, three months from now. We will be reading through the play in class everyday after lunch, instead of our regular English lesson. I would like you all to think of which parts you would like to play. I will take that into consideration, although I will make the final selection. Also since there are not enough girl's parts, the 'Lost Boys' will be the 'Lost Children'. Now open your scripts to page one..."   
  
* * * * *   
  
Then there were auditions. Some kids were scared, but really, it wasn't all that hard. Just go on stage, read the script out loud and pretend it's really happening to you. It was fun, even.   
  
* * * * *   
  
"... when I played Mary in the Christmas play everyone said my parents should take me into Manhattan and get me an agent, but my dad said school was more important, or else I'd be on T.V. now..." confided Bethany to her clique, loud enough for the whole class to hear. It was time for Mrs. Bradley to announce the cast for Peter Pan, and the students were restless. Siku and Cierra were keeping a close eye on Monty and Vince, who had managed to pull some kind of dirty trick on the girls everyday.   
  
Siku had complained about the boys at the dinner table, hoping that her "uncles" would be properly outraged by the indignities she was suffering. Instead, to her chagrin, they found the whole thing rather amusing. Worse, they thought the reason Monty was teasing her so much was because he liked her!   
  
"But when you like someone, you're nicer to them," Siku argued. The adults laughed, which Siku thought was really rude.   
  
"I remember there was a girl in fourth grade who I thought was really cute," recalled Bobby. "I put plastic dog-do in her desk. She screamed really loud and threw it at me." He laughed. "I kept trying to find more ways to make her pay attention to me. The firecrackers got me in a lot of trouble, though..."   
  
"I had a big plastic spider, one that even felt real. I used that with at least six different girls," reminisced Warren. "'Course by fifth grade I'd learned that there were better ways to get a girl's attention..."   
  
"I use' ta get the girls ta notice me by stealin' her jewelry an' givin' it back," remarked Remy, "But if I'd known dat red-head was a cop's daughter..."   
  
Siku sighed as the men exchanged stories.   
  
"Don't worry sweetie, it gets better when you get older. They'll learn that it takes more than a fake spider to win you over," Jean comforted Siku.   
  
"Most of them, anyway," grinned Kelsey. "But you get used to it."   
  
Now Siku watched Monty closely. Was he really teasing her because he liked her? She and Cameron called each other names all the time. -But that's different. We're friends,- she thought.   
  
"All right class, take your seats," Mrs. Bradley had arrived. Siku sat down, still watching Monty- so she saw him crack up laughing when she produced a loud farting noise. Most of the rest of the class was laughing too. Siku was sure her face was glowing so red even her fur couldn't hide it. She reached down and pulled out the whoopie cushion that was on her seat.   
  
"Settle down, kids. I'm not going to read the cast list until everyone is quiet." The class quieted down quickly. Bethany patted her hair into place, and folded her hands primly on her desk, smiling expectantly.   
  
-She better not be Wendy,- thought Siku, -She's such a pain now, if she gets the main part she'll be intolerable. Maybe Cierra will play Wendy. She's prettier than Bethany, anyway.- Siku didn't have any ambitions for herself. Just the thought of having all those people staring at her was scary. -I've got to think of something to get back at Monty... I bet Cierra could think of something.-   
  
"Peter Pan will be played by Monty Edwards."   
  
Monty groaned loudly. "I'm not gonna wear tights!"   
  
"Don't worry, Monty, I'm sure we can find sufficiently masculine attire for you. Captain Hook will be played by Vincent James."   
  
"Yes!" Vince high-fived Monty.   
  
"Wendy will be played by," Bethany leaned forward, "Sikudhani McCoy." The announcement was greeted by silence.   
  
"But she's blue!" burst out Bethany after a moment.   
  
"I have seen many productions of Peter Pan. I've seen white Wendys, black Wendys, Asian Wendys, Hispanic Wendys, a blind Wendy, a Wendy in a wheelchair, and in one ... memorable production, a male Wendy. All became Wendy, and onstage their differences did not matter. Sikudhani did the best reading of Wendy, therefore I have chosen her to play the part. The part of Tinkerbell will be played by Cierra Miles. The part of..."   
  
Mrs. Bradley continued to read the cast list, but Siku was to stunned to notice. -Me? As Wendy? But that's the main part!- Siku was used to having people stare at her as school, and in the town, but she still hated it. Now Mrs. Bradley wanted her to go in stage and ask people to stare at her?   
  
* * * * *   
  
"This is soooo cool!" crowed Cierra. "The look on Bethany's face was awesome." The girls were waiting for Siku's father to pick them up from school. Cierra was planning to go to the mansion for the afternoon and have dinner there.   
  
"I can't do it!" Siku protested.   
  
"Yes you can! You can remember everything for school. You should have no problem memorizing the script."   
  
"No, I mean I can't go up on stage in front of everyone. I hate it when people stare at me!"   
  
"This is different," argued Cierra. Hank's car pulled up just then and the girls climbed in. "Guess what, Dr. McCoy! Siku got picked to play Wendy!"   
  
"Marvelous! I remember when I directed a production of the illustrious William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet..."   
  
"I'm not going to do it. I'm going to tell her tomorrow to pick someone else," stated Siku.   
  
"Siku! You can't! Dr. McCoy, tell her she can't quit," Cierra protested.   
  
"Well Sunshine, if you would prefer not to perform the much-coveted role of Wendy, I will respect your choice. However, may I inquire as to your reasons for refusing?"   
  
"I don't like people staring at me. If I go up on stage in the main part, then the whole audience will be staring at me. And what if they're all people like Bethany and her parents? What if they make 'mutie' jokes, or just walk out when they see me?" Siku took a deep breath. "I'd rather play something where I can wear a costume to cover me. Cierra can play Wendy."   
  
"I can guarantee that at least a portion of the audience will be entirely supportive. I am sure that everyone at the mansion will be present to witness your theatrical debut, and I believe that among us we can quiet any dissenting voices."   
  
"Come on, Siku, the audience is gonna love you. Wait and see." Cierra begged.   
  
"Well... I'll try it. But Dad, you have to promise that you'll be there," Siku said.   
  
Hank McCoy laughed. "Sunshine, there is not a chance in the world that I would miss it."   
  
* * * * *   
  
Actually it wasn't that bad. With the exception of Bethany and her clique, most of the kids thought it was cool Siku got the part of Wendy. And Siku knew that Bethany was just jealous, and that's why she complained to her mom. Still, the paper didn't have to make such a big deal out of it. And if those parents hadn't backed out of helping, Siku and Cierra wouldn't have gotten into so much trouble.   
  
* * * * *   
  
"'The third graders of Reed Richards Elementary School are scheduled to perform Peter Pan in four weeks. Some parents are upset that the student chosen to play Wendy is a mutant, and have refused to offer the usual parental support expected of school productions.'" Charles Xavier set down the Salem Chronicle, and glared. "It is upsetting, to be sure, but what has this to do with the clothing replicator?" The two girls looked at each other, aware that they had overstepped their bounds. Both were a bit scared of the legendary Professor Xavier. Cierra found her voice first.   
  
"Well, sir, usually parents help make costumes for the show, but ..., " she wavered a bit under his glare, but Siku spoke up.   
  
"One of the moms on the PTA is also in the Friends of Humanity, and she convinced some of the other moms not to help. There's really only a few who won't help, but they're the ones who can sew, at least the ones who know how and have time, 'cause they don't have jobs during the day like a lot of moms," Xavier's glare seemed to be getting more intense, so Siku hurried up her narrative. "Anyway, since it's my fault they won't help-"   
  
"Ignorant minds are never your fault, child." His glare seemed to soften for a moment.   
  
"Well, anyway, I thought, we've got the clothing machine, we could make the costumes. So I told my teacher my family could make the costumes, but everyone was away when we got back-"   
  
"Surely appropriate after school supervision was arranged?"   
  
"Well, yeah, Jubilee was here, but she was with some guy..." put in Cierra. The girls made faces at each other, remembering Jubilee's behavior with that boy. So gross!   
  
Siku took a deep breath and finished the story. "So we took the pictures from the book and scanned them in, and we put the measurements in, but the costumes were all tight like superhero stuff, so I tried to reprogram it, and we finally got the costumes right but I couldn't get it back to where it started, and everything got kind of mixed up." She stared at the wooden floor of Xavier's office, hoping he wasn't too mad at them.   
  
"So that is why when Rogue returned from the mission and attempted to requisition a new costume, she ended up with a nineteenth century girl's nightgown in green and yellow with the team emblem on the shoulder." He didn't sound too mad... Siku looked up slowly. There was what appeared to be a slight smile at the corners of his mouth. "Well, since no harm was done, and you acted with good intent, I shall leave your punishment up to your parents. Which, since Henry has spent the entire evening reprogramming the replicator, will surely be more than adequate. However," he added as the girls sighed in relief, "if you use any of the equipment without permission and supervision again, you will have to answer to me. I will also speak to Jubilee about her lack of responsibility this afternoon."   
  
* * * * *   
  
Her dad had been pretty upset. He'd talked to Cierra's mom, Paula, and both girls were grounded for a month. Play rehearsals were excluded from the punishment, however. The night before the show he'd even taken her out to dinner after dress rehearsal to celebrate her "theatrical debut". It was a good stress reliever, since the tension at school had risen pretty high with the play being so close to performance. Monty hadn't even put anything gross in her stuff all week.   
  
Cierra ran up to Siku, the wings of her Tinkerbell costume streaming behind her.   
  
"How many people are out there?" Cierra whispered.   
  
"A lot. A whole lot. And I don't see Dad or anyone I know!" Siku whispered back. Cierra peeked out at the audience and laughed, then covered her mouth at the loud sound.   
  
"Silly. Your whole family's in the front row. There's your dad, and there's Kimber, and Bobby, and Kelsey, and my mom-," she whispered.   
  
"Let me see!" Siku pushed Cierra away from the curtain. "Oh. You're right. There's Uncle Remy, and Aunt Rogue - oooh, that's a new dress she's wearing." Siku looked around at the audience again. Yes, her family and friends were right there in front. She could see other people she knew, too. There was the mom who helped paint scenery, and the dad who'd supplied wood for the sets, and helped build them. She saw all the parents who'd helped with the play sitting in the audience, except a few she knew were helping backstage. She saw some people she didn't know, but most of the audience were friendly faces. She relaxed a little.  
  
-Maybe this won't be too bad,- Siku thought. Cierra tugged at her sleeve.   
  
"C'mon! I've got to show you something." Cierra dragged Siku off the stage and back to the classroom that had been converted to the girl's dressing room. Siku stopped in the doorway. Siku had finished her makeup and put on her costume early and rushed onto stage. When she'd left, the desk that was her makeup area had been completely cleared. Now - now it looked like a flower shop had exploded over it.   
  
The center of the desk held a large bouquet of a dozen roses, tied with elaborate ribbons and a card signed, "Break a leg, Sunshine. Love, Dad." Siku found a pretty crystal vase with a few exotic looking flowers from Uncle Warren and Aunt Betsy. She sorted through the unexpected garden, and found flowers all her aunts and uncles, and Cameron, too. (He'd sent a single carnation with a note saying, "Hey goober! Knock 'em dead. Love, Cameron.") Even the Professor sent a yellow rose. Then she saw a lone bouquet, a little to the side of the rest. It wasn't from a flower shop like the others. It was just a few wildflowers, wrapped in a wet paper towel to keep them fresh. A card was attached by a blue ribbon. Siku picked up the small arrangement and read the card.   
  
"FOR SIKU (WENDY): YOUR REALLY PRETTY. IM GLAD YOUR PLAYING WENDY. ("Good Luck!" was written and crossed out.) BREAK A LEG. LOVE (This was crossed out and written in again.), M.E."   
  
"Cierra. Look at this." Siku showed her the note.   
  
"M.E.? Monty Edwards!"   
  
"No way. Do you think there's worms in there or something?"   
  
"No, silly, he likes you!"   
  
"OKAY KIDS, FIVE MINUTES UNTIL CURTAIN!"   
  
"Oh, no! I've got to go!" Siku carefully placed the bouquet on the desk with the others, but she untied the card and slipped it into the pocket of her costume. As she ran onto the stage, she saw Monty waiting in the wings in his Peter Pan outfit. He turned red when he saw her. She pulled the card out of her pocket.   
  
"Did you...," she whispered. He nodded and turned a shade redder. She smiled.   
  
"Thank you," she whispered. He looked surprised, then smiled back. She tucked the card back in her pocket and headed out on stage.   
  
-Monty likes me,- she thought in amazement. As the lights darkened she discovered something else. -And I like him!- She smiled to herself as the curtain rose.   
  
THE END 


End file.
